Previously, I had posted Catoire's "Chants" Nos. 2 and 3 here. Today I'm happy to be including No. 4. These pieces of Georgy Catoire, a Russian late romantic, date from 1910. I hope you'll
enjoy hearing it.

Link: http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=35180.0

Haven't listened to it yet, but it's residing in my iTunes library already. I have a question about the previous two. Both say Op. 24 in the info but do not have the No. 2 or 3. Which one is which? One is 3:34 and the other is 2:26. I don't have scores for any of these so I can't identify them.

Just listened...it's everything I loved about all your other Catoire and more! The mood you created was ethereal.

Thanks for sharing!

Hi Horowitzian,

No. 2 is the shorter and No. 3 the longer piece.

Hi Horowitzian,

Thanks for those kind comments! The piece is a bear to play, so I glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you so much! Now I will be able to tell them apart at a glance!

You are most welcome! I wondered about the difficulty. Does it lay well under the hands for the most part?

The piece lies reasonably well under the hands except in the middle section, in particular those long ascending phrases, where it becomes much more difficult.

Wonderful! Very complex sound, and I am sure equally difficult to play.

Thank you for sharing your fine interpretation after what must have been a great deal of focus on your part.

Glen

Hi Glen,

Thanks for your kind comments on my playing. In preparing Nos. 2 and 3, further down on the listing here, they were difficult; but this No. 4 was even more challenging in its own way. Yesterday I was fortune to capture a good recording of the piece, so decided to post it. Now it's on to No. 1 which will complete the set.

Thanks for listening, especially where Catoire is a neglected, little known composer.

David

Thanks! Any idea where to obtain scores? I'd like to be able to follow along. I have a lot of pdf scores of Bortkiewicz and Lyadov, but no Catoire.

Hi Horowitzian,

The only place where I know of to find Catoire's scores is online at the IMLSP. Because the Soviet Ministry of Culture did not deem Catoire's late romantic idiom to be of any value in promoting art in the service of socialism, it would not approve of reprinting and recirculating his scores. In 1928, two years after his death, the ministry allowed the reprinting of one thin volume, which now in our day has long been out of print. I prefer practicing from bound scores, but in this case I've had to make do with the PDF files. Because the format is smaller, the notation is also smaller which, at my age, makes reading the music more of a challenge ha-ha!

Hi Horowitzian,

I meant to say IMSLP.

others could sign up for your private message notifications..

these recordings are a valuable part of piano world for me.

Hi apple*,

Thanks for that thought. And I'm glad you enjoy these recordings so much.

What is the mechanism for others getting notifications? Can they initiate that themselves, or do I need to do something from my end. (Shows you how much I know about the intricacies of this website's new software!)

David

you notify me by private message.

you can make a buddy list in the private message area and i think send messages to multiple people at one time. i am always excited to see the blinking envelope.

Hi apple*

Ah, the buddy list! Yes I have one of those (you're on it, of course), but I never thought of using it as an easy one step "all points bulletin" mailing list. I'll try that next time, as it will save time! Thanks for bringing it up.

Another beautiful recording, David. What a beautiful, mystical tone you give to the piece. I love the unpredictability of the music. Thanks for posting this.

And if you are doing a buddy list, I would love to be notified when you post new recordings.

Hi heidiv

Thanks for the kind praise! Yes, as I was playing some of those unexpected tonalities at first, it made me wonder if it was a nod to the very early romantic idiom of Arnold Schonberg before he turned to 12-tone row style. As many times as I practiced them, they still felt a bit elusive to me.

Over the next few days, I'll take a look at the buddies list and will be sure to include you. Thanks for listening!

now that I have had a few listens I think it my favorite.. so unique... the opening phrases are so interesting.

(I do like Bortkiewicz's prelude opus 33/9 tho, maybe it's a tossup if I am assigning favorite status).

Hi apple*

What I was trying to accomplish in the opening of the Catoire 24/4 was to have the very quiet passage come out of nowhere. Also these phrases tend to be very Wagnerian, where the baritone and soprano pass the melodic line between themselves, as if one completes the other's thoughts at times. It's a cool piece!

Yes the Borkiewicz 33/9 is so beautiful. I loved playing it!